Green to Mend our Broken Hearts
by Deyedreamer
Summary: Love triangles, angst and a boat load of drama - what more could you ask for? Modern day AU following the story of Theresa Gray as she is thrust into the world of London and her new life at the Instituti Opus; a life full of excitement, love and, of course, heartbreak.
1. Eternal Reassurance

**Author's Note: *** taps mic* is this thing on? Ahem. Well, this is the first ever chapter of my first ever fanfiction, woo! I've always wanted to write about the Infernal Devices, and now I guess I have. I realise that this is not the most original idea on the planet, but let's just see where it goes, eh? Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: The characters, idea and setting of Infernal Devices belongs to the marvellous Cassandra Clare. I do not own any of it.

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Sixteen years. Sixteen years of her mundane, boring life could be thrown out of the window. This would be a day of new beginnings, a chance to start again, and a chance to discover her true self. At least, she hoped so – it really all counted on her not being late, which, by the looks of things, was becoming more and more unlikely by the second. The old Theresa Gray was never late. Then again, the old Theresa Gray would not be standing in front of a cracked mirror in a London tube station (the _Underground_ , they called it here) wishing she was anyone but herself.

She had never felt as conscious of her looks as she did now. Her pale complexion had never completely been an aspect of her that had fit into New York's norms, but it complimented her lively grey eyes and wild dark hair. Tessa had never deemed herself to be 'super-hot' like some of the girls she saw flouncing down Broadway, but neither was she horribly ugly. Now that she had taken her first proper steps in London, however, she felt more out of place than she had ever felt before. The voices of those that she passed carried a wild array of accents, all lilting with the attractive British tones she had only heard in movies. She began to see herself as this harsh, wild newcomer that would never belong. Hence the reason why she was now staring at the tired, miserable-looking girl in the mirror instead of navigating the busy, unfamiliar streets in search of what would be her home for the next two years.

"Are you going to stand there all day, sweetie?" The impatient tut of a voice pulled her out from her reverie, meeting the gaze in the mirror of an elderly woman standing behind her.

Muttering apologies, she found her feet to be moving of their own accord, weaving her in and out of the queue forming in the ladies' bathroom until she found herself looking up at a sea of people ascending and descending a set of stairs in an unspoken order only those from the city itself would ever understand. _Well._ She sighed to herself, adjusting the bag on her shoulder to a more comfortable position. _May as well get lost now._

And she certainly did get lost. Tessa, after a good hour or so of aimlessly wandering, stopped for what seemed like the hundredth time to survey her surroundings. What she was looking for she didn't know – perhaps a sign that read 'Instituti Opus this way' or something. An exasperated mix between a groan and a sigh pushed passed her lips as she collapsed onto the nearest bench, only to jump back up with a yelp of surprise.

"Crap! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sit on you. I've just been walking for ages and I thought this bench was free and I just sat down – ugh, I'm such an idiot." She gushed, feeling a flood of embarrassment heat up her cheeks as she tried to straighten herself up in front of the guy she had just managed to sit on. Her shameful attempts at righting herself were only met with an amused chuckle, one that was not without kindness.

"No worries. It's pretty much impossible to find a seat around here without accidentally sitting on someone every once in a while – especially on a Sunday." The stranger stood up, swiftly brushing off the dirt Tessa had managed to kick up in her scramble off of his trousers. She took this moment to take in his appearance, her eyes wide with curiosity as her gaze landed on a head of silver hair and a pair of warm, friendly eyes. He looked around her age, perhaps a little older judging by the way he held himself with upmost maturity. They stood like that for a few long seconds, analysing every part of the other with open curiosity. In any other situation the silence would have been awkward, but their brief lapse into their own thoughts seemed to be completely natural, and perfectly comfortable. Finally the stranger smiled, and Tessa was reminded of an extract from a book she had just finished reading – The Great Gatsby.

 _He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself._

"I'm James, by the way. James Carstairs." She found herself flushing at the way this James' mouth turned up in a pleasant manner as he offered her an open hand to shake. And, being Tessa, she managed to simultaneously take his hand and drop her bags at once, resulting in her dragging his hand downwards somewhat forcefully.

"Sorry! Again." Tessa felt her lips curl up into a sheepish smile and she let go of his hand, attempting to gather her bags together while still maintaining a conversation.

"I'm Tessa. Well, Theresa, but everyone just calls me Tessa." Finally managing to sort out her belongings, she did not fail to notice the glint of amusement in James' eyes, and she felt yet another flush of embarrassment overcome her.

"Everyone calls me Jem." Her eyes couldn't help snagging on the flash of green she caught underneath his collar, but Tessa pulled her gaze away before it seemed nosey of her. "May I ask where you're headed with all of this…baggage?"

Tessa hesitated. Something she knew from her life in New York was to never trust strangers, especially those she met on the street – but this Jem seemed to genuinely care, more out of curiosity than malice.

"The 'Instituti Opus'? You know the boarding school? Is that how you say it? It's supposed to be the induction day and I am completely lost." She admitted with an exhale of annoyance, taking in her surroundings once again and finding nothing she recognised. Her brow quirked up in surprise as her new acquaintance let out a short laugh of wonder.

"I go to the Opus. I was just about to head back myself, actually. I don't usually take part in these 'induction days'." He shrugged. "I'm one of the regulars."

 _Her prayers had been answered._ Feeling her shoulders sag in relief, Tessa felt the reluctance to ask him for directions slip away as he added:

"I'll take you there if you want."

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Yay! My first ever chapter of my first ever fanfiction! Did I do it right? Reviews would be very much appreciated, and I should be getting the second chapter up pretty soon. I realise that this is quite short, but I just wanted to put my work out there; I think things will gradually get longer as the story develops. Also, I purposefully left Tessa's reasons for being in London out partly because I like the suspense, but also because I haven't completely figured it out yet. I hope you like it so far!


	2. Wild Elegance and Unkempt Sharpness

**Hopefully I'm not updating this too soon, but I just love writing it! Please, please, pleeeease drop in a quick review if you've enjoyed it so far. Even if you haven't, some pointers would be much appreciated. And, of course, Will is finally introduced in this chapter...and a few other key characters are mentioned *winks***

 **Disclaimer:** The characters, idea and setting of Infernal Devices belongs to the marvellous Cassandra Clare. I do not own any of it.

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The walk to the Opus, as Jem seemed to call it, was not nearly as far as Tessa had expected. Or, rather, it didn't feel quite so long with the silver-haired boy by her side as he pointed out a seemingly endless stream of landmarks, explaining their history and significance in a way that held her captivated. She took this time to take a proper look at her new acquaintance, for the first time appreciating just how beautiful he was. She had originally assumed his hair to be dyed, but upon closer inspection, the colour of his hair, his eyebrows and even his eyelashes could not be the work of a hairdresser. His eyes were too clear, too bright to be contacts, as she caught him glance at her every so often. He was so gentle and friendly, she found herself opening up to him as if they had known each other for years. She explained to him that she was from New York as he commented on her accent, and that her brother had paid for her to attend the Opus with the money he got from his new job. She failed to mention her Aunt Harriet, however, and the fact that she was an orphan. She didn't want to drag him into the madness that was her life after they had just met – also because she didn't want to be labelled as the lonely girl with no family just yet.

Her brother had been somewhat vague when he had told her of his new job and home, but he had painted her a picture with his words as he described London as being a beautiful place where the sun always shone and her dreams were bound to come true. Well, she decided as she glanced up at the mournful-looking grey sky, she was sorely disappointed.

Jem, who seemed to notice her disdain, offered her another one of his reassuring smiles.

"It's not all bad. I promise." Breaking their gaze, he gestured to a church-like building in front of them.

"We're here anyway. Welcome to the Opus, Miss Gray. A school, a community, a home." Tessa paid no notice to the way his voiced uncharacteristically touched sarcasm as he led her through the grand double doors and into the school itself, her jaw dropping at their surroundings. There was no way that this was a school. The ceiling with dizzyingly high, held up by smooth marble pillars that were decorated with a collection of ancient-looking scripts written in gold. What had seemed like dull, pathetic sunshine outside was magnified through a series of stained-glass windows to create a warm, welcoming glow in the hall they were now in – it made everything radiate a soft golden light. Tessa's eyes landed on Jem, who was watching her with an amused expression, and it was everything she could do to stop herself from letting her mouth gape open once more. His hair shone under the golden light with a delicate grace, and a gentle shadow was cast across his features, making his silver eyes stand out with beautiful intrigue.

"How do they do this? It's like something out of a book! Is this really the school? Are you tricking me?"

The soft laugh that escaped Jem's lips was interrupted by a shrill ringing that seemed wrong and out of place in such a tranquil place, and Tessa watched as he pulled a slightly dated mobile from his pocket. Shooting her an apologetic glance, Jem turned away and answered the call, his voice dropping to a low murmur so that it wouldn't bounce off of the grand walls surrounding them. Tessa took this time to glance at her reflection in a small window to their left and made a hasty attempt to smooth the dark curls of her hair which had decided to come loose from their pins in the breeze outside. It was no use, though, because as soon as she pushed one back, another would spring out of place. Huffing in frustration, she turned away from the window just as Jem turned back towards her, a hesitant smile now lighting up his features.

"Well, you've missed Mrs Branwell's speech. But don't worry; it's all just the usual kind of rubbish about what they expect of you as a pupil, and how you need to work hard to achieve your dreams." He shrugged, now gesturing for her to follow him.

"Where do we go now, then? Isn't there some kind of tour?" The question caused Jem to stop, a look of mock hurt dancing over his face.

"You have us, Miss Gray. What more could you need?"

"Us?" At that, Jem started walking again, a mischievous glint in his eye that certainly hadn't been there before.

"Come on. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

That someone was apparently waiting for them in the courtyard. Of course, Tessa had no idea where the courtyard was, so she followed Jem anxiously as they made their way through corridor after corridor, long since losing her bearing as to where they could possibly be in the school. Every so often someone would greet Jem as he passed them, to which he would always offer a warm smile, and a wave, or a 'good morning'. This only solidified Tessa's trust in her new-found companion, and she allowed herself to relax as they entered a sudden open space, full of greenery and set with a small pond and fountain.

Tessa shook her head in wonder; they didn't have places this this in New York. Sure, they had Central Park and Broadway – but nothing she had seen was parallel to the magic that this place held.

"So this is the girl that sat on you."

A deep voice with a slightly different lilt to that of Jem's caused Tessa to turn. For what seemed like the hundredth time today, it was all she could do not to let her jaw drop. Now standing beside Jem was one of the most stunningly handsome people she had ever seen. A pair of eyes that were a like blue glass studied her with scrutiny, lazily travelling over her in a way that caused her to flush. A tangle of black hair framed a strong jawline and high cheekbones, and a pair of lips that held an arrogant smirk.

Tessa was astounded. Where Jem was all beauty and softness, this stranger was wild elegance and unkempt sharpness. She knew that not every guy from England looked like this; so what was it about this school, where everything was so incomprehensively gorgeous?

Jem, apparently unaffected by this boy's looks, laughed and nodded as he broke through Tessa's reverie.

"Yes. Will, this is Theresa Gray. Tessa, this is William Herondale." Tessa half expected the boy to hold out a hand for her to shake, but instead he just grinned.

"My, James. If I had a girl willingly sit on me, I would not be taking her to school, that's for sure." The statement, said as if he were merely commenting on the weather, caused Tessa to, yet again, blush.

"I didn't sit on him on _purpose._ " Arching a brow and crossing her arms, she stared up defiantly at this Will. It was now that she realised that the two boys in front of her were, surprisingly, taller than her – which was a marvel in itself, seeing as she was quite tall herself. Jem grinned at her response, shifting slightly so that he was now standing by her side and facing Will rather than vice versa.

"Of course you didn't. Will's just teasing – something he does a lot, I might warn you." Jem paused, his silver eyes sweeping over the courtyard. "Besides, Jessamine wouldn't stand for it."

Tessa, taking a second to marvel over how strange these names were, opened her mouth to ask who Jessamine was, but Will was hastily changing the subject, insisting that they show Tessa around before dorm rooms were allocated.

The boys turned out to be good enough tour guides. Jem would lead the way, gesturing to block after block of classrooms, while Will walked by her side, providing witty remarks and warnings about particular teachers as they made their way around the school. It was only at the end of the tour that Will led the way, suddenly eager as they weaved their way in and out of the growing crowds in the hallways. The trio stopped outside an impressive pair of double doors, Will shooting Tessa a knowing smirk before pushing the doors open wide.

It was like a dream. As if this mystical school couldn't get any better. This time she let her mouth fall open as everything else fell away from around her and there was only her and the thousands of books that were lined up, shelf after shelf. She spotted a few of her favourites on display, _Oliver Twist_ , _Little Women_ , _Gone with Wind,_ and even _The Great Gatsby_ could be seen on a shelf nearby. There were plenty of books, however, that she could not spy.

"This is amazing." She spoke in hushed tones, as if she didn't want to wake herself or anyone else that must surely be dreaming in a literary world such as this. She turned around once more to face Will and Jem. Jem was watching her with amusement, his lips pulled up into a small smile, but Will's expression was unreadable, his brow furrowed slightly as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Do you think they have a _Tale of Two Cities_? Or _Jane Eyre?_ Maybe _Pride and Prejudice_?" She gushed, feeling her lips pull up into a hopeful smile. Instead of getting an answer, however, a sharp sound caused both Tessa and Jem to jump, staring at Will as he clapped his hands together in one sudden movement. His previously unreadable expression was now replaced by that of impatience, and he was already ushering the pair of them of the door.

"But what about the books?" Tessa couldn't help but complain, ignoring the fact that she sounded like a whining toddler.

"They're not going anywhere. The room sheet should be up by now, anyway."

Jem offered Tessa nothing but a shrug before taking off after Will, leaving her standing there both confused and alone. Jem was a sweetheart, but she realised that he and Will were far closer than they seemed. Jem would disregard his usual manners to be there for Will, no matter how much of an arse he seemed to be. Surely, then, there must be more to this William Herondale than meets the eye, right?

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Yay! Another chapter finished. Hopefully you managed to spot the little hint at one relationship in particular that's going on. Don't worry, I hate it too xD and if you didn't catch it, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter...


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